Losing Your Temper At Work? Here’s How To Keep Your Cool
Have you ever been in one of those situations at work when you feel anger so intense that you don’t know how to stop it? It could be that your project is derailed by a different department, perhaps no one will approve your customer order (which will result in a ton of commission) or maybe your boss assigns you more work and you are already overloaded. Whatever the situation, you have to handle your professional problems, professionally. Losing your temper at work can seriously harm your reputation and productivity.
Your temper in a stressful situation may seem hard to control but if you take this advice on how to diffuse the negative emotion you are feeling at work, you’ll be able to see a bad situation through in a more positive way.
Do not react
Take a step back and a few hours to think about the situation. Do not react immediately to the information that is making you so angry. Try and view it from a different perspective. An emotional reaction will never solve your dilemma. Becoming publicly angry will only cause embarrassment and then you’ll need to offer an apology for your behavior. Ask yourself if this is something you’ll still be angry about next year. Chances are this event won’t even register on your radar in the future.
Breathe
Try and remain composed, which can be easier said then done. Do not speak until you can do so in a calm tone. Take a deep breath and keep your voice steady. If you remain calm so will the person you are speaking with. If someone was angry with you and lost their temper, your ability to remain unruffled will help diffuse the situation. Some may even offer an apology for their outburst. At the same time, you may also need to offer an apology if you said something you didn’t mean.
Think it through
It’s hard to do but you need to think about the words that are coming out of your mouth before you say it because once you speak something, you cannot take it back. Saying hurtful things will destroy your reputation and credibility. Do not respond to someone with an audience, either. Ask to speak with someone privately if the situation is tense.
Don’t take it personally
When you care deeply about the job you are performing, it’s easy to be offended when you feel attacked. Instead, try and put yourself in the shoes of the other person. Whether it’s meant as constructive criticism or an outright attack, using your practical patience and understanding will go a long way. Stay respectful just as you’d want to be shown respect.
Walk away
Last but not least, if the situation pushes you past your breaking point, it’s ok to walk away. That way, you can think about the situation, then return with a clear head. If you are in the middle of an argument, simply ask the person if you could talk about this later. Then do some simple office cubicle exercises or take a walk outside to help you relax. When you return to the problem, you’ll be fresh and more level headed in order to talk through the issue.
There are times when you have to deal with negative emotions at work and learning how to cope with these feelings is paramount to your work success. After all, negative emotions can spread, and no one wants to be around a person who adds negativity to a group. When those angry emotions begin to appear, immediately turn to this practical advice to control the situation.
